Nowt quickens the senses over the Christmas holidays like the scent of baking. This is an inspired recipe, from The Book of Bere: Orkney’s Ancient Grain. I have always been curious of the beremeal, which is milled in Orkney only, and very hard to acquire south of Hadrian’s Wall and famously used to make bannocks, a griddled bread. Here I’ve found, happily, in amongst the many recipes for bannocks and bread, a very delicious recipe for soda bread.
A soda bread lifted from the oven is always a great treat, comforting and delicious. Sliced warm and spread with butter, heaped with smoked salmon, freshly milled pepper and a squeeze of lemon, as the cork is popped from a bottle of ice-cold champagne, it heralds Christmas with the requisite warmth and cheer vital for festive bonhomie.
Makes a 20cm round loaf
self-raising flour 115g
beremeal 85g, plus extra for dusting (available from baronymill.com, or try buckwheat or pinhead milled oats)
sea salt ¼ tsp
baking powder 1 tsp
bicarbonate soda ½ tsp
black treacle 30g
honey 30g
butter 45g, melted
buttermilk 150ml
Heat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5 and oil a baking tray. Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Melt treacle, honey and butter together, but do not boil, then pour into the dry ingredients. As deftly as possible, mix in buttermilk to make a soft dropping consistency.
Scrape onto the middle of the baking tray and dust with extra beremeal. Shape into a round and cut a deep cross in the top with a long bladed knife.
Bake for 25 minutes until risen and firm. Cool on a wire tray. This is best eaten freshly baked.
Jeremy Lee is chef-proprietor at Quo Vadis, London W1
